


Dedication

by jadetea



Series: Revelations in the Dark [2]
Category: Villainous Nights (Visual Novel)
Genre: Canon Rewrite, F/F, Fluff, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:34:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23567677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadetea/pseuds/jadetea
Summary: Kara's life is complicated.She and her girlfriends are part of a supervillain conspiracy targeting the world's most powerful (and corrupt) corporation, and if that wasn't enough, one of her girlfriends happens to be the secret heiress to said corporation while her other girlfriend is being threatened by her sleazy boss.Between the Optima family, Charles' blackmail, and her new romantic connections, Kara's facing pressure on all sides. Will she be able to move past her struggles, or will she crumble under the weight of it all?
Relationships: Andi Kim/Juliette Optima, Andi Kim/Main Character, Juliette Optima/Main Character
Series: Revelations in the Dark [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1652626
Comments: 17
Kudos: 26





	Dedication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fixed formatting!

Defeat tastes bitter. 

Wait, no, that's just the glove in my mouth. Gross! 

It's too thick for me to bite through, though, and my options for escape are dwindling by the second. I concentrate on my powers one last time, but nothing happens. 

Charles keeps his eyes on me, a glint of cruel anger behind his smarmy smile. I don't know the mechanics of his power, but I have to accept that I won't be able to use mine while he's around. 

Even though I've only had them for a short time, I feel… _less_ without my power. It's not just about how much weaker I am—it feels like I'm _missing_ something. Like I used to see the world in color and now everything is gray. 

The guards jerks me closer to Charles, bringing me back to the present. 

Enough quitter talk—I'm not going down without a fight! 

I, too, know how to SING. 

Solar plexus, instep, nose, GROIN! 

Unlike the civilian from earlier, I hit my captor's actual groin. He buckles and I shove him away while shouting. 

"Help!" 

Andi immediately turns in my direction, "Hey! Hands off, Greasy McGee!" 

She slips away from her current opponent and runs towards me, both hands crackling ominously. 

"Take a shower!" she throws her arms forward, but the attack fizzles out, "Huh?" 

"Powers don't–!" 

I taste defeat—honestly, these gloves taste _that_ bad—once more as a guard shoves his hand over my mouth. 

Situational awareness. _So_ much harder when the radar in your head goes offline. 

The rest of the guards dogpile Andi. Normally that wouldn't be an issue, but without her powers Andi has to beat them down the old fashioned way, and that takes time. 

"Guys! Block the door!" Andi dips under a wild swing, "Bat! Do something! They're taking Monarch!"

What?! I just got back into their systems, I need a minute to access the door locks! 

"We don't _have_ a minute!" Andi shouts. 

Duke tries to block off the exit with a wall of ice, but it only takes a glance from Charles to make it melt. Lorelei spends too long getting away from her own attackers, and Charles has her powers nullified before she even starts building. 

"Falcon!" Andi shouts desperately, "Help Monarch! Please!" 

We both know it's a futile effort—Renzei is completely surrounded, but he manages to blast a gust of wind towards the doors… which fades into a gentle breeze by the time it gets near me.

Andi screams and throws herself towards me, but there's too many bodies between us. Someone slips a bag over my head, and the last thing I see is Andi flipping us off. 

_Oh_.

* * *

I'm led into some kind of vehicle, and they tie my hands and ankles together. As soon as they're not looking, I trigger the emergency beacon, then turn my comms on. 

"Why am I in a car? Where are you taking me?"

Guys, I've got a lock on Monarch's signal! I'm in pursuit! 

"Shut up," Generic Guard #1 grunts.

Hold on, Monarch. Rescue is on the way. 

"Rude," I tap my knuckle again, "You'll be sorry when my teammates come and kick your a–!"

I'm cut off by a slap.

Monarch, you don't have to do that. Just focus on keeping yourself safe, okay? 

"Uh, I don't think the boss wants us doing that kinda stuff," Generic Guard #2 says. 

Generic Gu—no, he's an asshole, so he gets to be called one—Asshole grunts, "What? She was mouthing off."

Guard #2 sighs, "That's not the point. We're going to the lab, so–ow! What was that for?!" 

There's a pointed silence, then they start whispering too quietly for me to hear. 

I tap my knuckle, "A _lab_? Huh? What kind of lab?" 

Asshole grumbles, "See! Look at what you did. Stop talking, and _you_ –" 

He pokes me in the shoulder. 

"–better keep your mouth shut too!" 

"Alright! Okay, got it! I'm going silent!" I stop transmitting.

Copy. Stay safe. We're– 

There's a smacking noise and Asshole speaks again, "You forgot to turn the jammer on! Circle around again."

Fuck.

* * *

I don't bother trying to remember where we're going—my basic sense of direction is awful to begin with, and I wasn't keeping track earlier anyways. 

Asshole and Guard #2 untie my feet and take me into another building—or I assume it's another building. I don't like it. The clack of our boots against tile echo around, and it smells like a strange mix of office cubicles and disinfectant. 

I'm abruptly shoved into a chair. I struggle instinctually, but considering the circumstances I settle for saving my energy. The bag comes off as they tie me to the chair, and I start looking for escape routes. 

Charles mistakes my attention for admiration, "I knew this would pique your interest–"

Gag. 

"–cutting-edge research tools, designed and created by Optimus. You won't find a more advanced facility in the world." 

Oh no, he's a monologuer. On the one hand, that might give me an opportunity to escape. On the other hand…I have to listen to his voice. 

"Charles, I have something very important to tell you."

He pauses. 

"You're an awful person."

Charles laughs, "Is that it?"

"No, it's not," I continue placidly, "Your wardrobe is almost as awful as you are–" 

He stops smiling.

"You look like I could use your head to mop floors, except I wouldn't because they'd end up greasier than they started–" 

I internally cheer when his lips twitch. 

"I'd recommend you shower more often, but I don't think our water treatment plants can handle your toxicity." 

He snaps, "Are you done?" 

"I could go all day," I reply with a smile, "It's not like your list of faults is very short. Unlike your pe–" 

"Enough!" 

Charles' indignation is music to my ears. He takes a moment to compose himself again.

"Now that we're done with the _childish backtalk_ ," Charles spits out, "Let's discuss more important topics—for instance, this facility is where I do most of my more experimental research. It's fascinating work, really."

Typical male ego. "Let's talk about something important" he says, before talking about himself. 

"Amazing," I deadpan, "I'm _so_ impressed."

He continues as though I hadn't spoken—also unsurprising, "In fact, you might get the chance to observe how we test new subjects. We have plenty coming in tonight, after all."

All my sarcasm is washed away by horror. Forget human trafficking—Charles is talking about human _experimentation_! 

I don't know if I'd rather all those people be sent overseas instead being put through whatever hell Charles can come up with. Either way, I've completely failed them. 

"My work is the future of Optimus, you see," he finally glances down at me, "Isn't it exciting?" 

"I'm sorry, are you trying to tell me something? I've just been waiting for your mouth to stop making noises."

For a split-second, he looks like he's about to hit me, but he settles for sneering instead, "You can keep throwing your little tantrum. It's only a matter of time before you realize your part in Optimus' future."

He smirks and walks away. 

I've changed my mind. 

I'm going to find a way to drop the ceiling on Charles, and I don't care if it looks like an accident or not.

* * *

In the meantime…there's nothing I can do. Charles left a few guards behind, and while they're not focused on me, they'll definitely notice if I try to untie myself. Even if I manage to take them out, I have no idea how to find the exit. I don't where I am either. We could be in the middle of nowhere, and I'd have to run for miles to get away. 

(I wish I wasn't alone.) 

Andi would have figured a way out by now, and Juliette probably has enough tech in her suit to solve any problem. 

All these weeks of training and fighting, and I'm still just the intern trapped at Optimus after hours. 

(A damsel in distress.)

Except there's no masked stranger to intervene this time. The Syndicate has no way to find me—Mr. Cutting-edge Technology certainly has some kind of jammer in the building, or Juliette would have found me by now. Or at least contacted me. 

(It would be so comforting to hear her voice. Or Andi's) 

I hum and tap my knuckle a few times, but there's no response. I try to focus on making a plan, but my brain keeps spinning back to Andi and Juliette and how much I miss them. 

(They're probably so worried.)

I'm freaking out so much that I circle all the way back to calm, but I know I'm just a small push away from a total meltdown. 

(I can't even curl up the way Juliette does to comfort herself.)

Andi does that too, now that I think about it. 

(It makes her look so small, and I just want to hold her until she feels better.)

The dead silence of the room is starting to get to me. It's so quiet I can hear my heartbeat, hear myself take ragged breaths. I even start to hear the hum of the machines around me. 

I hear the wind blowing and there's a flash of light—of course there's a thunderstorm outside. How thematically fitting.

…I'm stupid. There aren't any windows, so I must be hearing—

There's a crash, then another flash of light. The guards get into a scuffle, but the familiar crackle of electricity stops that pretty quickly. 

"Cat! Bat!" 

"Sorry we're late," Bat calls out, "Traffic was hell."

"But your knights in shiny spandex are here!" Cat adds, "…and Falcon too."

"Gee, thanks," he snarks. 

More guards flood in from a different door. 

"Fuck! Off!" Andi makes all the machines glow purple, "You even _think_ about looking at her and I blow your shit up. Don't test me."

Falcon takes advantage of their hesitation, launching himself like a human missile and forcing the guards to back off. 

Cat and Bat rush over. Bat already has a blade in hand—bat shaped, of course—and starts cutting the ropes away. I take deep gulps of air once I'm loose. 

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Andi tips my chin up, "No bruising at least. God, I think I whited out when they took you."

Meanwhile, Juliette is checking my wrists and hands, "Can you squeeze my hand? Okay, now push against my hand. Good, how many times did I tap?" 

"Three?" 

Juliette relaxes, "Good."

The sounds of Renzei dispatching the remaining goons is a somewhat charming backdrop to my girlfriends' fussing. 

"Can you stand?" 

They both help me to my feet, and after giving both of their hands a quick squeeze, I feel much better, "I was so worried I'd never see you two again. How did you find me? I thought Charles jammed my emergency beacon."

"Uh, long story, we'll tell you later. Let's focus on getting out of here first," Andi looks around the room, "Wolf and Badger stayed at the tower to evacuate the civilians, so it's just us three on your rescue team."

"Civic duty, yadda yadda," Renzei wipes one of his knives on a downed guard, "You should give them a hard time about it."

"Which she can do _after_ we get somewhere safe," Bat urges us towards the exit, "Chop-chop. Let's go before Severus Snape gets back!" 

Despite the situation I crack up.

* * *

We make a hasty exit, using Andi and Renzei's trail of destruction to guide us out of the lab. There's an underground access not too far from there, and I finally relax when we reach the tunnels. 

The rest of the way to the lair is a blur—the world feels unreal. Ten minutes ago I thought I was going to die without ever seeing my loved ones again. I should be horrified, or at least upset, but I'm just…blank. 

Juliette puts her hand on my shoulder, "Sorry, I need to check in with Duke." 

She leaves and I realize the train stopped moving. 

"Oh!" I follow her, and Andi follows behind—she says something I don't quite catch. 

Inside, Duke and Lorelei have already changed out of their costumes. Duke is icing one of Lorelei's arms, but other than that, they seem mostly unharmed. 

"Did you manage to evacuate everyone? They're all safe now?" 

They startle slightly, but both seem relieved to see me. 

"Looks like the rescue was a success," Lorelei says, "I'm glad."

"Yes, we completed the mission. The evacuation went rather smoothly after you were taken. Without Charles, our powers made quick work of the remaining guards," Duke pauses, "I am also glad to see you are unharmed, Kara."

"Oh, um. Thanks?" I shrug, "Is that it?" 

"Well, we warned them about Optimus," Lorelei adds, "A few promised to spread the news around."

Renzei pulls a face, "Yeah, well, while you guys were being _boring_ we pulled Kara out of a secret Optimus facility."

"A secret facility?" Duke looks intrigued, "What was it like?" 

"A lab, maybe? I didn't exactly stop to look around," Renzei shrugs, "It doesn't look like any of the places we have blueprints for."

They continue discussing the lab, but I stop paying attention. I still can't believe I got out of there so quickly. How long would Charles have kept me trapped down there? A day? A week? Robin would probably call the authorities after a day or two, but with the police in Optimus' pocket, would they do anything beyond a token effort? 

I'm pulled out of my stupor when Andi leans against me, her forehead pressing against my shoulder. 

"Andi? What's wrong?" 

She looks up at me, confused. When I don't say anything further, she frowns, "I can't forget how terrified you looked when they took you away. I've never been so scared in my life… I could have lost you."

Andi keeps looking at me, at my face, searching for something. Her concern deepens, and she guides me away from the group towards one of the couches. I notice her catch Juliette's attention, and the blonde excuses herself to join us. 

Andi gently runs her fingers over my cheeks and through my hair, like she's making sure I'm still there. 

"You're not okay," Andi looks at me sadly. 

Juliette sits on my other side and starts running her hand up and down my arm like she's trying to warm me up. 

"Guys, it's fine. I'm okay. Some of the guards got a little rough, but you got me out of there before…" 

_It's only a matter of time before you realize your part in Optimus' future._

Charles' angry sneer flashes into my mind, and I shudder when I realize how close I was to becoming a guinea pig for his experiments. 

"Oh, babe," Andi rubs soothing circles on my back, "You're shaking."

"Your breathing is uneven, too," Juliette adds, "It's okay, you're safe now."

Right…these two are used to putting up a strong front. My distress must be painfully obvious to them. 

"We're right here, Kara," Andi takes one of my hands and Juliette takes the other, "We're here with you. Just breathe."

They help me pace my breathing until it becomes steady, and the hazy filter over the world fades. 

"Oh…wow, I was really out of it, huh?" 

Juliette squeezes my hand, "You just went through a traumatic experience–" 

Oh shit. I _did_! That hadn't clicked for me until she said that. 

"–dissociation isn't an uncommon response."

"Oh…" I've heard the term before, but I'd never experienced it, "Thank you. For just now and for saving me."

They both flinch—though Juliette seems to have a stronger reaction. 

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Andi looks down, "We should've gotten there sooner."

"Hey, it's not your fault Charles is a dick," I nudge her with my shoulder, "I'm mostly impressed you guys found me at all. I lost hope after they mentioned a signal jammer."

Juliette blows out a harsh breath, "Yeah. That. I lost your signal before I could catch up to their car…and then you stopped responding to transmissions. The only thing I could do after that is hope you showed up on a traffic camera, but it would have taken _hours_ to search through all the footage."

"Then how…?" 

Juliette makes a complicated expression. She subtly shifts away from me, but doesn't let go of my hand. I'm about to ask her what's wrong, but Andi bounces in her seat excitedly and starts talking. 

"So, this is going to sound kooky, but I swear I'm not making this up," Andi leans closer. 

"Okay? What happened?" 

"So after Lord Farquaad left with you, our powers came back. I tried to chase after you, but the guards slowed me down enough that I had no idea where you went. 

"Bat–Juliette said you popped your emergency beacon, and that she was following it, so I started heading towards her."

"Were you chasing my car on foot?" I gape. 

Juliette shakes her head, "No, I had access to my bike, so–" 

"Bike? Like a pedal-bike or…?" 

"It looks just like what you'd expect Bat to drive!" Andi cuts in, "It's super sporty…but it's a moped."

Juliette shoots Andi a dirty look, but she doesn't notice as she continues her story. 

"Renzei helped us catch up to Jules, but then your signal cut out. We were all freaking out–well, Renzei wasn't, but he's Renzei–but then I felt something pulling me. It felt like your TK, and it kept reaching for me, here–" 

She taps the center of her forehead. 

"And here," she rests her hand over her heart, "We piled onto Juliette's moped and I pointed where to go. It was like I was following a red string of fate. When we got close to that lab, I could hear your voice in my head calling out!" 

I perk up, "I was thinking about you! About how much I wanted you to be there…how much I wanted to hold you. I didn't even think about my powers coming back. Do I have telepathy now?!" 

"Sure do, babe," Juliette answers with a tight smile, "You're probably the most powerful psychic in the country now." 

Even if I am the most powerful psychic around, I don't need my power to notice something is off. 

"Jules?" 

"Yeah?" she smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. 

"You realize I can _literally_ feel something is wrong, right?" I raise an eyebrow. 

She scoots to the edge of the couch, pulling her hand away as she moves, "Sorry, I–" 

"–am not about to hide my feelings from my psychic girlfriend?" 

Juliette looks at her hand, then at me, then back at her hand, "But I'm not touching you!" 

"Let's fix that," I reach out and grab her hand, "We just established my brain can reach _at least_ a couple blocks. What did you think a foot was going to do?" 

"You can feel my emotions?!" she gasps—and yep, I'm definitely feeling her surprise. 

"Yeah…?" I shrug, "I've been able to for a while–for both of you. I just didn't really notice. Why?" 

Juliette shifts uncomfortably in her seat, "It's nothing, don't worry about it. You're okay, and that's what's important."

"Wait, were you…" Andi stops when we turn our attention to her, "Jules, when I said I heard her calling out, she was calling for _both_ of us."

"Oh," Juliette turns bright red.

Great, now they're going to think I'm a jealous ball of insecurity. 

"Jules, we don't think that at all!" 

"Think what?" Andi asks. 

I didn't know it was possible, but Juliette turns even more red, "Oh my god, you can hear my thoughts?" 

I wiggle my hand, "Sorta? Only if I'm focusing and you're thinking really loudly."

"Oh man, this is like, anime-level soulbond shit!" Andi pauses, "That sounded more romantic in my head."

I don't know if my heart could handle a more romantic delivery. 

"Is that a challenge?" Andi smirks.

You can hear me?! 

Andi nods and I beam.

**Juliette**  
What the heck is going on _now_? 

The glee from my newfound power starts to fade, "Okay. This is starting to get complicated, and I don't have the spoons to figure it out. Take me home?" 

They both nod. Jules checks in with the others, and Duke decides to call it a night—we can finish debriefing another time.

* * *

I must have been super zoned out earlier because Juliette's bike is already on the train. 

"Has that been here the whole time?" I check. 

"Yep." "Yeah."

"Huh."

Andi's description is pretty accurate. It's badass, yet dorky, just like Bat. If Andi hadn't mentioned anything, I would've just assumed it's a motorcycle, but now that I'm paying attention, it looks like someone tried to make a "cool" scooter by pimping out the body. 

"It actually goes pretty fast!" Andi pats the seat, "Barely able to carry three though."

"Yeah, because Renzei is a giant. It'll probably be more comfy with us three," Juliette says, "Well, assuming you want a ride home?" 

"Yeah, some fresh air would be nice." 

And after a night like tonight, there's nowhere I'd feel safer than squished between my dorks.

* * *

We still have to take the train part of the way, but Juliette has us stop far away enough that I get to enjoy being sandwiched for ten minutes. The physical contact is grounding, and so is the brisk, night air. I keep wanting to check for tails, to see if Charles has somehow caught up with us, but Andi soothes my nerves with soft kisses along the back of my neck. 

The apartment is empty when we return, and for a second I worry Charles sent a squad here. Andi picks up a note and whistles. 

"Hey, Robin said they're staying out tonight," Andi waggles her eyebrows, "Think they've got a hot date?" 

I shrug, "Maybe? Last I heard, he was still working on getting Pizza Girl's number."

"Speaking of pizza," Juliette walks towards the kitchen, "Are you hungry? I can get some food delivered or try to make something fast if you don't want to wait."

Even though we skipped dinner, I don't really feel hungry, "I'm honestly too tired to eat, I think."

I drop onto the couch next to Andi, then flop sideways so my head is in her lap. 

"Hey there, cutie. Come here often?" 

I barely manage a weak smile, but it falters and I roll to press my face into Andi's shirt.

"Nnngh," I grunt, unable to voice the swirl of emotions rushing through me, "Hold me."

Strong arms lift me up until I can rest my chin on Andi's shoulder. She wraps her arms around me, pulling me closer. 

"I'm here, baby," she says softly, "I know I wasn't there last time–"

I shiver at the memory of running down unfamiliar hallways. 

"–but I promise, you'll never be alone again. I want to always be there when you need me, and if for whatever reason I'm not, you know Jules will take care of you too."

Andi shifts around until I'm sitting in her arms, bridal style, "Jules, I think our Monarch is in need of some TLC. Care to assist?" 

"Anything for Her Highness," Juliette plays along. 

I squeal when Andi gets to her feet, still carrying me in her arms. She walks us to my room, then gently sets me on my bed. I'm ready to roll over and pass out, but she clicks her tongue and starts fussing over me. 

"Here, let me…" Andi and Juliette help me undress, "How does a massage sound, Kara?" 

"Um," I'm suddenly much less tired, "That sounds nice, but–" 

"As you wish!" Andi cheers, "Jules, I figure one of us can take her top and the other work her legs?"

"Uh…" she sounds nervous, "I've never given a massage before, but if you think it will help…" 

If Andi is trying to keep my mind off of tonight, she's doing a fantastic job. 

Charles who? I've never heard of a Charles at our skule.

* * *

I groan as Juliette finds a knot in my back. She pauses, but when I don't complain she starts working it loose. It took some time for her to stop worrying about "messing up", and she's still timid about touching me. 

On the other end of the confidence spectrum, Andi is relaxing tension in my legs that I didn't even know I had. Her thumbs dig in with just the right amount of pressure when she finds a knot, then she smooths the area over using the heels of her palm. 

"Hey, can I try something?" Andi asks.

"Mm, you can do anything you want to me," I murmur. 

Andi makes a noise, but continues, "This might feel a little strange, but it shouldn't hurt."

On her next pass, I feel the familiar tingle of her power. My muscles tense, then release, and I end up feeling more relaxed than I've ever been. 

It feels so good I let out a low moan, and both my girlfriends immediately stop. I think Andi even lets out a quiet meep.

"Hm? We're done?" I ask with a pout. 

"N–no, just. Um," Juliette stammers. 

Andi babbles, "That was a really sexy sound and we're both sapphic disasters? What do?" 

I laugh—my first real laugh since getting out of Charles' clutches—and roll over. Juliette covers her eyes, and I can see her ears go pink. 

"Kara-that's-not-helping!" she squeaks. Andi's reaction isn't quite so overt, but I can tell she's struggling to keep her gaze above my shoulders. 

Huh. Are _both_ of my girlfriends boob women? 

"We can stop if you'd like?" I stretch lazily, enjoying their reactions, "You two have me feeling _fantastic_ already. I wouldn't say no to snuggles and sleep."

"Do you want to make out?" Andi blurts out. She blushes when Juliette looks over at her, "What? Don't lie and say you aren't thinking about it."

"Um. I'm not opposed to that idea, but, uh…" I glance at Juliette—who's still averting her gaze, "I don't want to do anything anyone is uncomfortable with."

Juliette squirms, "I–Sorry for getting in the way, I can–" 

"Nope!" Andi interrupts and boops Juliette on the nose, "You're never in the way."

Juliette blinks in surprise, and I use the pause to cut in, "I'll get dressed and we can cuddle. That sounds nice right now anyways."

"No, no," Juliette waves her arms around, "You don't have to do that. I'm not _against_ uh…what Andi said, I'm just kind of intimidated? How does that work with–" 

She makes a circular gesture between us. 

"You're overthinking this. I mean, we've been doing okay so far," Andi shrugs, "I'm okay if we bump into each other or whatever. It doesn't have to be awkward."

I beam—all my blood rushes away from my brain to my…yeah. Juliette chews on her lip nervously, unintentionally drawing my attention to her mouth. 

"Hey, we can–uh. Try that some…um. Some other time?" I sound like an idiot, "We don't have to–oh, okay." 

Juliette is already leaning closer to kiss me while Andi cheers in the background. My giggles turn to happy sighs as their hands touch me all over. It's not really sexual—though it definitely feels sexy—it's more like they're making sure I'm really here, that I'm whole and unhurt. 

My hands aren't idle either. One tangles in Juliette's hair, pulling her closer as we taste each other's mouths. Andi has my other hand in hers. She alternates between using her mouth on my body and pressing chaste kisses to my knuckles. 

Juliette's attention moves lower—her lips brush against my jaw, down to my throat. I bare my neck for her and I'm rewarded with the barest hint of teeth. Andi puts her mouth on mine before I can cry out, and the rest of the noises I make are muffled against her lips. 

"Can I leave marks?" Juliette murmurs against my skin. 

"Mm–mhm!" I gasp when she starts to lick and suck, "That feels good!" 

Andi kisses me harder, either from excitement or some twisted competitive urge. There's tongue and teeth and lips and it all feels _amazing_. I can feel her smirk against my lips when I let out a soft whimper. 

"You know…" Andi rasps, "We never finished that massage."

Andi moves her mouth to my chest and I can't hold back from moaning loudly. Juliette makes an appreciative noise in response, then leans back enough to give me a saucy wink. 

I have no idea what sounds I make when Juliette starts using her mouth on my other side, but at some point I can't do more than babble praise in between satisfied groans. 

Their affection feels like sinking into a hot bath. A floodgate opens and all their emotions—joy, admiration, and so many more that are too complex to label—wash over me. It feels like drowning, but in a good way. 

Andi and Juliette continue to spoil me—physically and emotionally—until I finally drift into slumber.

* * *

I wake up the next morning feeling like a brand-new person. I didn't realize how much stress I was carrying until my girls—I still get flutters calling them that—melted it all away with a heavy dose of TLC.

I yawn and stretch, careful to not disturb the warm bodies next to me, though I soon realize one of them is already awake. 

"Did you already go on your run?" 

Andi usually wakes up feeling restless, and she's liable to start bouncing off the walls if she has to stay still for too long. 

"Nah," she shifts to rest a cheek on her fist, "Too busy taking in the view."

I raise an eyebrow, "Of me snoring away?" 

Andi smiles, "Yeah. It's a little different every day. I like it."

**Kara**  
  
You can't just _say_ things like that before I'm fully awake! I'm going to melt into a puddle of happy goo!

"I bet you'd be a pretty cute puddle of goo, too," she smirks.

I slip back under the covers to hide my face, but the movement makes Juliette grumble and snatch the blankets—and me—closer. She mumbles something about dragons and hoards before falling back asleep. 

Andi has to use her hand to stifle her giggles, "You two look _adorable_."

She snaps a quick photo with her phone to show me, and I have to agree. Juliette is laying on her side, holding me with one arm above the blankets. I'm tucked under her chin, which would be pretty cute on its own, but I'm also barely poking my head out from under the covers. Altogether it looks like Juliette is squeezing me out of a blanket burrito. 

My giggles wake Juliette up, and she presses a kiss to the top of my head, "G'morning. What's so funny?" 

Andi shows her the photo and Juliette buries her face in my hair. 

"Awww, don't hide. I thought it was cute," Andi coos, "Kara is best bae-rrito."

"It's too early for teasing," Juliette whines, "At least wait–" 

She's cut off by my phone buzzing. I assume it's Robin—they call when they're feeling too lazy to cross the apartment—so I don't check the number before picking up. 

"Hello?" 

"Kara?" my blood freezes, "Where are you? It's not like you to be this tardy."

What. The. Hell. 

"Charles?" my girlfriends tense. How do I want to approach this? Play dumb? Call him out? "Sorry, I'm not feeling well and I forgot to call in."

"Okay, I understand," Charles continues amiably, "Get some rest and feel better soon!" 

He hangs up before I can respond. I stare at my phone in shock. My mind races even though the rest of me is stunned. 

"Was that _Charles_?" Andi gapes, "As in 'just took you away to his evil lab' Charles?!" 

"Yeah…" I drop my phone into my lap, "He…he was asking me why I wasn't at work."

Juliette notices my hand trembling and takes it between her own, "Kara, let's not worry about this now–" 

I start to protest because _Charles_ just tried to call me into work and what does that mean? I assumed he knew I'm Monarch…is he just playing games with me? What–

"Kara," Juliette taps my hand to get my attention, "I can see you spinning your wheels. We'll talk this over with everyone else later, but for now, you have the day off. Focus on that. We'll deal with Charles _together_ , but not now."

Andi strokes my hair, "Yeah. Today's your day, we'll take care of you."

My heart warms from the sheer amount of compassion and affection they're projecting. 

"Okay," I take a deep breath, "Can we set up the team meeting now, though?" 

"Sure," Juliette uses her phone—one-handed!—to quickly send a message on the group chat.

**THE SYNDICATE**  
what doesn't kill you makes you gayer 

**Bat**  
@everyone EMERGENCY TEAM MEETING TONIGHT  
This is not a drill. Monarch's boss just tried to call her back in to work  
She took the day off, but we need a plan moving forward 

**Wolf**  
Why isn't she telling us this herself? 

**Bat**  
**@Wolf** The next time you go through a traumatic experience, then have your traumatizer contact you less than twelve hours later, I'll ask why you aren't on the ball while you're realizing your workplace is now a credible threat to your safety. 

**Falcon**  
**@Wolf** I don't know if you can make enough ice to deal with that burn 

**Wolf**  
I see. I apologize for my insensitivity. The indirect nature simply seemed strange.  


**Bat**  
Cat and I are with Monarch now. We'll keep you updated if anything changes 

**Wolf**  
Thank you. I'm glad Monarch has good friends available to support her through this. 

Andi chuckles, "Just a friendly sleepover between friends being friendly."

"Just us gals pal-ing around other gals as pals," Juliette adds. 

I frown, "…does this mean Duke thinks furries are a platonic thing?" 

Andi and Juliette don't stop giggling until we become hungry enough to get up for breakfast.

* * *

Juliette drives us—now that it's daytime, I wonder if sticking the three of us on her moped is legal—to a diner for "proper breakfast comfort food". It's not too busy, so we manage to snag a round booth, and I'm pleasantly smooshed between my two favorite people again. 

"Everything looks so good!" Andi pouts, "I want to eat all of it."

"That's what she said!"

Andi shoots Juliette a skeptical look, "That _barely_ works."

"That's what she said, too," Juliette waggles her eyebrows, "Unfortunately."

Oh. I'm also smooshed between my two favorite doofuses.

"We could all get something different and share?" I suggest, "I've got my eye on the french toast combo."

"Ooh, quick! Fuck, marry, kill: pancakes, waffles, and french toast," Andi leans forward so she can catch Juliette's attention. 

"Kill french toast"—I gasp dramatically—"fuck pancakes, and marry waffles," Juliette answers, "Wait. What does fuck mean in this context?"

"Ehh, it's like you have one last amazing meal with whatever you pick," Andi shrugs, "Like, you'd have a huge stack of your favorite pancakes, made perfectly the way you like."

"Kill pancakes, fuck waffles, marry french toast," I answer next, "Because I don't have a waffle iron and french toast is easier to make than pancakes."

"Fair," Andi nods, "Wait…if I fuck or kill pancakes, does that include crêpes?" 

"…um, do y'all need another minute?" our server—a blushing young man—asks politely, "Would you like anything to drink?" 

We ask for some coffee and he scurries off to the kitchen. 

"What? Do we look scary or something?" Andi asks, "Is it because we're talking about killing breakfast foods? 

"I don't think so," Juliette has a twinkle in her eye, "We'd sound scarier if oatmeal was a choice." 

I stare at her, "…I'm going to regret asking, but why would that be scarier?" 

"What if one of us chose to be a cereal killer?" 

"…if you're making dad jokes does that mean you're actually Kara's sugar _daddy_?" Andi raises an eyebrow. 

Our server awkwardly sets down three mugs on our table and fills them with coffee, "Um. Do you need another minute, or…?" 

We laugh and order—Andi gets the fruitiest pancakes they have, while Juliette gets chicken and waffles—and the poor boy retreats to the kitchen again.

* * *

"Are you sure he's aware of your secret identity?" Wolf frowns. 

Andi and Juliette tense, but I speak before they can start a fight, "Not explicitly, no. His little security errand and his familiarity with me last night are pretty strong indicators though."

"Then there's a chance he doesn't know," Renzei says. 

Andi scowls, "But there's a larger chance he _does_! Are we just going to throw Kara towards a meat grinder on the off chance someone didn't plug it in?" 

Everyone winces at the vivid imagery. 

"I mean…even if he _does_ know, he hasn't called the cops or sent security teams to my apartment," I shrug, "He might need to keep his activities secret too? That means I'd be safe at work as long as I don't let myself get trapped alone."

"You have the most isolated cubicle in your department," Juliette deadpans, "Which is probably intentional." 

"Uh…what if there's something wrong with my workstation?" I suggest, "Bad outlets or something? I could move." 

Juliette gives me a strange look, "You sound like you _want_ to go back."

"Well, kind of? I've been thinking about it all day, the cons for quitting outweigh the cons for staying, I think," I start ticking off fingers, "One, the Syndicate loses a major source of intel. Two, Charles **doesn't** have evidence that I'm Monarch, and quitting out of the blue makes me look guilty. Three…this is a little shallow, but I doubt I could find another job that pays as well as my current one."

"You could, at ChatSphere," Duke offers. 

Andi scowls, "If you want to be Kara's sugar daddy, there's a waiting list."

Duke looks confused, Lorelei facepalms, and Renzei looks like his birthday came early. 

"I didn't mean to imply anything inappropriate. Kara shouldn't have to put her safety at risk due to financial issues, that's all."

"We're getting side tracked. Who's in favor of me quitting," I ask. 

Andi and Juliette obviously raise their hands. Lorelei does too—I don't want to say I'm surprised, but I wasn't expecting anyone besides my girlfriends to be that worried. 

"Those in favor of me staying?" I raise my hand, and so do Duke and Renzei, "It's a tie, but since I'm in favor of going back to work…" 

"Be careful," Lorelei says solemnly, "Optimus has a way of digging its claws into you."

"Agreed. We won't fault you for changing your mind after going back," Duke claps his hands, "That's all for tonight. We'll reconvene for training tomorrow–we could all use a refresher on CQC after last night."

"That includes you, too, Bat," Andi teases Juliette. 

Juliette quirks her lip in response, but both their expressions shift to concern after everyone else leaves. 

"Are you sure about this?" Andi frowns, "Last night…" 

Juliette's expression matches Andi's, "You don't have to force yourself to do this, Kara." 

I pull them close for a group hug, "I'll be okay, I promise."

I'm not 100% sure that's a promise I can keep, but I hate seeing them so worried. My reassurance doesn't do much, though they seem to realize they're not going to change my mind.

I'm petty enough to admit that at least some of my decision is motivated by spite—like _hell_ am I going to let Charles think he's gotten to me. 

He can kiss my beautiful black ass if he wants me to quit.

* * *

"Kara, I'm so glad you made it in today!" Charles' concern is _almost_ genuine enough to fool me. 

Almost. 

I plaster on a polite smile, "Thank you, Charles. I'm happy to be back at Optimus."

"That's good to hear!" he smiles—god, he's a good actor, "I'm actually here to let you know that I'm recommending you for a promotion."

My mask almost slips.

"A promotion?" I don't manage to hide my disbelief. 

Charles claps his hands together, "Yes! You've been doing such wonderful work, and talent like yours would be best used at my new facility." 

When he says "talent", does he mean my powers? 

"I…don't know what to say," I really don't. I'm going to have to touch base with the team again, "Could I have some time to think it over?" 

"Of course," Charles' smile gains the slightest edge, "Take some time to consider your role in Optimus' future."

…that's not ominous or creepy at all. 

"I will. If that's all…?" 

He nods with a smirk before walking away briskly. 

I _really_ want to drop something heavy on him.

* * *

"No way!" Andi pokes my side, "Going back to the office is one thing, going to that creep's lab is fucking bonkers!" 

"She's right," Juliette is equally stern, "You _know_ being alone with him is dangerous. That whole lab is under his control—it's not on the books, I checked."

I furrow my brow, "Then can't we report him through official channels? Misuse of company resources? He said all the tech there was made at Optimus." 

"We don't know if he has any board members on his side," Juliette sighs, "I'm also not sure if I can accuse him that openly without opening myself up to retaliation." 

"And Optimus isn't going to investigate an anonymous tip either…" Andi adds, "'Hello? Yes, I'd like to report that one of your employees has a secret evil laboratory.' We'd be lucky if they don't try to trace that 'prank' call later."

"Aren't those both reasons for me to accept his offer? This could be our only way inside."

"Think about it this way," Andi says slowly, "You're still on the fence, right? If we put it to a vote again, I'm pretty sure everyone will choose the same option. Duke might even flip to 'no'. Either way, that's a three to two vote for you to not accept the offer."

I pause. I'm being told to look before I leap by my (usually) impulsive girlfriend. 

"That makes sense. I'll turn him down tomorrow, I promise."

"Good!" Andi snuggles closer to my side, and slips her hand under my shirt, stroking my skin. 

Juliette nuzzles my other side, "We'll find another way to get information on his lab."

"Yeah," Andi nods, "Do you think we can find it again? I remember the general area…"

"I don't have GPS data, unfortunately, but between the two of us, we should be able to narrow down the location," Juliette sighs, "They'll probably beef up security after last time, though."

"We'll just have to watch out for each other," I pull my girls closer, then grin, "That means watching my back, not my ass."

"But it's such a great view!" Andi whines. 

"We'll keep it covered," Juliette slides a hand underneath me to squeeze my butt, "Andi, you gotta cover her other side!" 

"Got it, Jules!" Andi salutes and squeezes my other cheek. 

My giggles turn to moans when their hands start wandering.

* * *

Charles is waiting at my desk when I arrive, "Good morning, Kara. Have you put some thought into my offer?" 

"I have," I internally cringe at the eagerness in his expression, "Thank you for your consideration, but I respectfully decline."

Charles pleasant demeanor drops, "I see. What a shame. Talk to me when you change your mind."

He stalks off—good riddance. His dismissal was rather ominous, but it's not like he has to try hard to sound creepy.

**GALPALLA**

**Kara**  
I turned Charles down. He got a little grumpy, but otherwise nothing happened. 

**Juliette**  
oh thank god  
i was worried he was going to pull something like when he had you transferred 

**Andi**  
like what? is there forced promotion paperwork?  
im asking for real. i have no idea how jobs work. or bosses. 

**Kara**  
I…don't think so? There are a *lot* of weird HR forms though  
There's a form specifically for requesting break room snacks. 

**Andi**  
isn't that just jules asking to meet you in the break room? 

**Kara**  
🤦🏾♀️ 

* * *

I spend the rest of the day waiting for the other shoe to drop. Nothing happens all day, but the suspense has me stressed out. I'm more than ready to get some snuggle time with my girls once it's time to head home. 

Unfortunately, my snuggle plans are delayed when Charles stops me in the lobby on my way out. 

"Kara! I'm so glad I caught you–"

I shiver involuntarily. 

"–before you left," he smirks, "You see, I don't think you understand your situation."

I narrow my eyes, but stay silent. 

As always, Charles is more than happy to hear his own voice, "Your friend is rather sweet, isn't she? Always visiting for lunch and picking you up after work."

My blood freezes, and my expression must give it away because Charles smirks triumphantly. 

"There she is now," Charles looks over at Andi, "Wouldn't it be a shame if something happened to her?" 

Andi's playing with her phone, so she doesn't notice a pair of Optimus guards approaching her. Normally, two guards would be a nonissue, but she can't use her powers right now, and Optimus has so much power that she could get arrested for fighting them anyways. 

I glare at Charles, "Is that a threat?" 

Charles doesn't say anything, but his smarmy expression is its own answer. 

"What do you want?" I grit out, "Leave her out of this."

"I just want what's best for both of us, Kara," Charles grins, "Come work at my facility."

I look outside again. The guards are keeping a slight distance from Andi, but they're close enough that they could hurt her at a moment's notice. 

"Fine," I scowl, "Now call them off."

Charles pulls out his phone and after a few taps the guards start to head back towards the office, "I'll see you tomorrow. Don't be late."

"That might be difficult, since you haven't told me where to go," I give him a flat stare. 

"Of course, my mistake," Charles returns my gaze evenly, "I'll email you the details tonight."

He walks off without another word, leaving me seething with frustration. I'm _fiercely_ tempted to trip him or drop something on him, but I can't. Not if it puts Andi at risk. 

I sigh. I can't tell her either—she and Juliette are already pretty pissed at Charles. They don't need another reason to go off at him. I can't let them endanger themselves like that. 

It's not hard to look exhausted instead of angry by the time I leave the lobby. Andi frets and fusses over me, but she accepts my excuses—that I'm stressed out, but my work situation is safe. 

"I'm glad you turned him down, but be careful," Andi frowns, "He seems like a sore loser, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has a back-up plan." 

She's not wrong. 

"Enough about him," I lace my fingers with hers, "Let's go home."

A dopey grin spreads across Andi's face, "Yeah, home."

I raise an eyebrow at her reaction, but she just kisses me instead of explaining—afterwards I'm pretty sure I'm wearing an equally dopey grin.

* * *

Juliette doesn't come over—something about having projects to check on at her apartment. She doesn't say it directly, but I suspect she also needs some space to process the past few days—the speed of our relationship's evolution must be scary for someone as guarded as her. I'll give her some time, but if she starts to clam up again, I don't think I'll be able to hold Andi back from prying her back open.

Andi's much better at getting Juliette to open up anyways. 

Andi gives me a puzzled look, "Where did _that_ come from?" 

I really need to get a handle on this psychic thing. 

"Well, when Juliette was freaking out, you managed to talk her down," I shrug, "If you weren't there, I don't think things would have turned out so well." 

"You mean you'd only have one girlfriend instead of two?" Andi teases. 

I playfully poke her in the side, "You know that's not what I mean! I had no idea what to do when her powers started going haywire."

"You were on the right track," Andi shrugs, "I'm just better at being distracting. ADHD has its perks, I guess."

I blink, "You have ADHD?" 

"Yeah," Andi snuggles into my side, "I don't usually tell people about it."

"Huh. I'll admit I don't really know much about ADHD," I kiss Andi's hair, "I appreciate you telling me, though." 

"Mm, it's hard to describe. My brain just works differently, I guess? Like…" Andi hums, "Blue, wet, cloud, soft, cloth, towel."

"…what?" I go over the words in my head, "I mean, if I think about it, I can see the logic, but…what?" 

Andi laughs at my expression, "Yeah, my brain just goes from 'A' to banana to twelve if I let it run wild."

"That sounds chaotic."

Andi snorts, "Have you met me?" 

"…right," I idly stroke Andi's back, "And it's like that _all_ the time?" 

"Mm. Yes and no? If I relax and just let my mind float, sure. Focusing on boring stuff is really hard, but if I'm interested in something I can get lost in it for _hours_ ," Andi giggles, "I, um. I went through your entire blog the night we met."

I gape, "The whole thing? In one night?! I've had that blog for _years_ though!" 

"That's the flipside people don't usually know about. I'm either super easily distracted or so focused that I won't even notice I'm hungry despite working eight hours straight," Andi hastily continues when she notices my concern, "I'm better about taking care of myself now that I'm aware. I'm on medication too, and that helps a lot."

I roll over and kiss her—because I can, and because I want her to know how much I appreciate her being so open with me. I'm learning new things about Andi all the time, and it makes me feel so lucky. I get to see the pieces of Andi she doesn't show anyone else. 

Andi's hands slip under my shirt, and my sappy thoughts fall away in the wake of her touch.

* * *

Charles doesn't send me an actual address. Instead, there's a van at the tower waiting to take me to Charles' lab. Technically, California has labor laws regarding travel to work, especially if I'm being forced to use employer provided transport. Is it petty to want that extra cash? Probably, but anything that annoys Charles is justified in my book. 

"Welcome back, Kara," Charles has his usual smarmy grin. 

"Back?" I play dumb, looking around the lab with fake intrigue, "I don't think I've been here before. Isn't this a new facility?" 

It's obvious Charles doesn't buy my act, but I'm not dumb enough to implicate myself—who knows what sort of recorders he could have hidden around here. 

"Right," Charles' looks irritated for a moment, then his smirk returns, "How about I give you a quick tour then?" 

He snaps his fingers, and I bristle until I realize the gesture wasn't aimed at me. Two guards flank us as he takes me through different areas of the lab. 

Any doubts about Charles' depravity are obliterated as he shows off his various "projects".

The first room has a man hooked up to various monitors as he runs blindingly fast on a treadmill. I don't see any water near him, and one of the screens is a timer—he's been running for the past fifteen minutes! The researchers around him don't seem to care, and instead focus on discussing their predictions on _how long it will take for him to pass out_. 

"Hey! He's a person, not a lab rat!" I start making my way towards them, but one of the guards holds me back with a hand on my shoulder. 

It takes all my self-control to stop myself from judo flipping her and continuing forward. I almost break, but Charles clears his throat, and although the sound is infuriating, it reminds me why I'm here in the first place. 

For Andi. God, I hate this place, but can't give in to my feelings. I can't let him hurt Andi. 

"Ignore her," Charles looks at me dismissively, "It seems she doesn't understand the value of our work here."

Headlines and papers rush through my mind. Optimus is _the_ worldwide authority on super powers…is this how they get all their data? Human experimentation? 

God, am I going to become another one of Charles' lab rats? 

Suddenly, I picture those same researchers plastering wires all over Andi and draining her like a human battery or pumping electricity into her as she screams for them to stop. I'm thankful Juliette is probably safe from getting similar treatment—there's no way Charles could get away with abusing her.

He could threaten her through me though… 

I blankly nod and smile as Charles finishes his little tour. He ends at a desk—my new workstation, apparently—and leaves me under the watchful gaze of several guards. I'm surprised that I'm basically doing the same work as before, but maybe Charles _actually_ needed a paperwork drone for this facility?

Another van drops me off at Optimus tower at the end of the work day. Andi is still on her way to pick me up, so I head back to my old cubicle to decompress while I wait. I'm ready to flop into my chair and put my feet up, but someone's already doing that. 

And she gives me a hard look once she notices I'm there. 

"Kara," Juliette crosses her arms, "What's going on? Where have you been all day?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Arc 2 of RitD!
> 
> While I have more free time during quarantine, I'm also a fucking moron and don't have some of my meds, so half of that free time is going to depression naps/disgusting brainaches  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> I don't have arc 2 as well outlined as I'd like, so updates will take a little longer. I'm stubborn af, though, so rest assured RitD _will_ be written through S5…eventually.
> 
> If you enjoy the read, please leave a comment—I really appreciate it!


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